Ford Super Duty Fire Truck Ushers in New Era

Turns out, the Super Duty isn’t just good for towing and hauling. It also makes an awesome fire truck!

By now, we all know just how incredible the new Ford Super Duty line of pickups is when it comes to dependability. With world-beating towing capacity and inherent toughness, these are trucks that can quite simply do it all. But we also never imagined that the latest Super Duty could also make a suitable fire truck, until now!

We know this because Heartland Fire & Rescue in El Cajon, California, is already using one as such. The bright red, specially outfitted 2017 Super Duty has already made its mark in multiple ways. But the truck known as “Squad 6” has also shown incredible promise. So much so that it seems poised to change the way fire departments across the country handle emergency calls.

Faced with ever-increasing emergency calls and strict budgets, fire departments everywhere are struggling to balance the two. And running a fire truck is obviously not cheap. With costs ranging from $150,000 up to $1 million, these giant rigs also require an entire crew to operate. The Super Duty, on the other hand? Well, this one only cost the department $82,000, and it takes one person to drive.

Brett Foote

Brett Foote has been covering the automotive industry for over five years and is a longtime contributor to Internet Brands’ Auto Group sites, including Chevrolet Forum, Rennlist, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts, among other popular sites.

He has been an automotive enthusiast since the day he came into this world and rode home from the hospital in a first-gen Mustang, and he's been wrenching on them nearly as long.

In addition to his expertise writing about cars, trucks, motorcycles, and every other type of automobile, Brett had spent several years running parts for local auto dealerships.

You can follow along with his builds and various automotive shenanigans on Instagram: @bfoote.